Scrubs (season 1)

The first season of the American comedy television series Scrubs premiered on NBC on October 2, 2001 and concluded on May 21, 2002 and consists of 24 episodes. Scrubs was created by Bill Lawrence who wrote the pilot as well as 3 other episodes in the season. Adam Bernstein directed the pilot as well as 4 other episodes. Neil Flynn was only a guest star in the first season, although he appeared in every episode of the season. Bill Lawrence said if the show had been cancelled at the end of the first season, he would have made the Janitor a figment of J.D.'s imagination.[1]

Scrubs
Season 1
DVD cover
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes24
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseOctober 2, 2001 (2001-10-02) –
May 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)
Season chronology

The first season follows J.D. (Zach Braff) and his best friend Turk (Donald Faison) in their first year out of medical school as interns at Sacred Heart Hospital. J.D. quickly meets his reluctant mentor, Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley); a young woman (and fellow intern) named Elliot (Sarah Chalke), on whom he has a crush; the hospital's janitor (Neil Flynn), who goes out of his way to make J.D.'s life miserable; the Chief of Medicine, Dr. Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins), who is more concerned about the budget than the patients; and Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes), the head nurse and Turk's new girlfriend, who puts Turk through the trials and tribulations of being in a serious relationship. The characters face romances and relationship issues, family obligations, overwhelming paperwork, and a tremendous number of patients. The first season also introduces recurring supporting characters such as "The Todd" (Robert Maschio), a boorishly lascivious surgeon; Ted (Sam Lloyd), the hospital's hapless, nervous lawyer; Laverne (Aloma Wright), fellow nurse and mentor to Carla; Jordan Sullivan (Christa Miller), Dr. Cox's caustic administrator ex-wife, and Doug Murphy (Johnny Kastl), a nervous young doctor who often accidentally kills patients.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Production

Writing staff

Episodes
See also: List of Scrubs episodes
Scrubs season 1 episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"My First Day"Adam BernsteinBill LawrenceOctober 2, 2001 (2001-10-02)535G15.45[2]
In the series opener, all the major characters are introduced as J.D., Turk and Elliot start life at Sacred Heart Hospital.
22"My Mentor"Adam BernsteinBill LawrenceOctober 4, 2001 (2001-10-04)S10116.29[2]
J.D. tries to get to know Dr. Cox, but is rebuffed. Turk actively pursues Carla and succeeds through candor where swagger and machismo have failed. Elliot gets on Carla's wrong side. J.D. tries to convince his patient (John Ducey) to quit smoking.
33"My Best Friend's Mistake"Adam BernsteinEric WeinbergOctober 9, 2001 (2001-10-09)S10211.78[3]
Elliot takes issue with the terms of endearment Dr. Kelso uses for her, but naïvely follows Dr. Cox's advice and confronts Kelso about it. J.D. misses Turk's company because they are both too busy to hang out, and he worries that a patient's post-op reaction is Turk's fault. Elliot and J.D. are getting close, but an interrupted kiss might make the difference between being friends and something more.
44"My Old Lady"Marc BucklandMatt TarsesOctober 16, 2001 (2001-10-16)S10312.71[4]
The three interns have to face death for the first time: J.D.'s patient is a headstrong but kindly old woman, Turk's is a young man who just needs some company, and Elliot's is a Hispanic woman who does not speak any English. The episode's writer, Matt Tarses, won the 2003 Humanitas Prize in the 30 Minute Category for this episode.
55"My Two Dads"Craig ZiskNeil Goldman & Garrett DonovanOctober 23, 2001 (2001-10-23)S10411.04[5]
J.D. has to decide between Dr. Cox or Dr. Kelso as a mentor. The decision isn't made any easier when all three, along with Dr. Kelso's lapdog Dr. Steadman, play a game of golf together. Elliot believes her breasts to have healing powers. In order to make up to Carla, Turk gives her a pen that, unbeknownst to him, was previously removed from a patient's rectum. Dr. Cox's actions to help an uninsured patient earn him a suspension. Louie Anderson has a cameo appearance.
66"My Bad"Marc BucklandGabrielle AllanOctober 30, 2001 (2001-10-30)S10512.44[6]
Dr. Cox's suspension puts his future at the hospital in doubt. Elliot discovers her patient, Dr. Greenberg, is a psychiatrist, and begins to act like his patient. J.D. has a beautiful but self-absorbed board member as a patient, and he winds up having sex with her after standing up to her. Unfortunately, he finds out that she is Dr. Cox's ex-wife, Jordan (Christa Miller, in her first appearance in the series). J.D. tries to convince Jordan to help Dr. Cox. Jimmie Walker has a cameo appearance.
77"My Super Ego"Peter LauerMike SchwartzNovember 6, 2001 (2001-11-06)S10610.90[7]
J.D. relishes being the best intern, but then has to face competition from fellow intern Nick Murdoch (Sean Hayes). Turk confronts his fear of making a mistake in surgery after thinking he has accidentally nicked a patient's colon. Features Cody Estes in his first of six appearances as Young/Child J.D., ending with "My Boss's Free Haircut".
88"My Fifteen Minutes"Lawrence TrillingEric WeinbergNovember 15, 2001 (2001-11-15)S10817.24[8]
J.D. and Turk save the life of a TV cameraman, which makes them celebrities. Dr. Kelso decides to take advantage of this by using Turk in advertisements for the hospital aimed at the African-American community, with slogans such as "Our MD's have Mad Skills" and "Time to Get an EKG, G". Cox is supposed to write J.D.'s intern evaluation but tells J.D. to do it himself. When J.D. refuses, Dr. Cox reveals that he wanted J.D. to do it so that he could discover his own shortcomings and judge himself.
99"My Day Off"Elodie KeeneJanae BakkenNovember 20, 2001 (2001-11-20)S10712.32[9]
J.D. develops appendicitis and sees the hospital from the patients' point of view. Elliot and Turk are his medical and surgical interns respectively.
1010"My Nickname"Matthew DiamondBill LawrenceNovember 27, 2001 (2001-11-27)S11012.25[10]
J.D. and Carla's relationship changes when he starts to have more medical knowledge than she has, and takes offense at her nickname for him ("Bambi"). Elliot treats Jill (Nicole Sullivan), a patient who's just as nervous and neurotic as she is. The Janitor comes up with a new nickname for J.D.
1111"My Own Personal Jesus"Jeff MelmanDebra FordhamDecember 11, 2001 (2001-12-11)S10910.57[11]
Turk loses his faith in a just God after spending a night on call on Christmas Eve, but regains it after finding the missing pregnant girl Elliot has been searching for. Dr. Cox assigns J.D. to videotape the childbirth of one of Dr. Cox's friends.
1212"My Blind Date"Marc BucklandMark StegemannJanuary 8, 2002 (2002-01-08)S11211.67[12]
J.D. must look after a social worker, Alex Hanson (Elizabeth Bogush), who slipped in the hospital and winds up stuck in an MRI machine. They flirt, but J.D. is reluctant to ask her out without knowing what she looks like. Elliot tries to gain Dr. Cox's favor the way J.D. has. Turk is angry at Carla and she can't figure out why. Dr. Cox is trying for a zero-deaths 'perfect game' on his 24-hour ICU shift. Jimmie Walker has a cameo appearance.
1313"My Balancing Act"Michael SpillerNeil Goldman & Garrett DonovanJanuary 15, 2002 (2002-01-15)S11311.25[13]
J.D.'s relationship with Alex is jeopardized by the amount of time he spends at the hospital. Turk and Carla experience bedroom-related problems. Carrot Top has a cameo appearance.
1414"My Drug Buddy"Michael SpillerMatt TarsesJanuary 22, 2002 (2002-01-22)S11111.03[14]
When drugs go missing, Elliot suspects a patient who is a former drug addict, but Alex defends him. Elliot tells J.D. that she thinks Alex will hurt him and J.D. accuses her of being jealous. He later tries to confront her about her accusation of the patient. Alex turns out to be the one who took the drugs. She and J.D. part on uncertain terms, and J.D. apologizes to Elliot. They end up in bed. Carla gets a ride from Dr. Kelso. Dr. Cox realizes he has feelings for Carla.
1515"My Bed Banter & Beyond"†Lawrence TrillingGabrielle AllanFebruary 5, 2002 (2002-02-05)S11512.63[15]
The episode switches between Elliot and J.D. spending a sex-filled day in bed and the ensuing weeks, where their new relationship breaks down. The hospital staff reveals their feelings to a psychologist.
1616"My Heavy Meddle"Will MackenzieMike SchwartzFebruary 26, 2002 (2002-02-26)S11612.56[16]
J.D. and Elliot are not talking to each other after breaking up but with Turk's help they resolve some of their issues and get back to better terms. Dr. Cox goes on a destructive rampage and Carla enlists Ted's help on fulfilling a coma patient's wishes. The death of someone close to J.D. prompts even more personal distress amidst the bad break-up with Elliot, and he attempts to play the death off as though it hasn't hurt him.
1717"My Student"Matthew DiamondStory by : Mark Stegemann
Teleplay by : Janae Bakken & Debra Fordham		March 5, 2002 (2002-03-05)S11410.99[17]
The interns receive their first medical students. J.D.'s is very much like he was at the beginning, Elliot's is a jerk but the son of the CEO of the corporation that owns the hospital, and Turk's is a smart, confident woman (Kelli Williams) to whom Dr. Cox is attracted.
1818"My Tuscaloosa Heart"Lawrence TrillingStory by : Janae Bakken
Teleplay by : Debra Fordham & Mark Stegemann		March 12, 2002 (2002-03-12)S11711.44[18]
J.D. feels guilty when a rude patient, whom he ignored dies. Carla assures him that it was the terminal cancer, but J.D. is unable to sleep. Dr. Cox is unable to decide between the three women he likes. Elliot and Turk discover a possible new side to Dr. Kelso. The episode title is taken from the song "My Tuscaloosa Heart" performed by Ken Jenkins (Dr. Kelso), which features in the episode.
1919"My Old Man"Adam BernsteinMatt TarsesApril 9, 2002 (2002-04-09)S12010.86[19]
The interns' parents come to visit. Carla deals with the fact that she is just like Turk's mother. Elliot questions why she became a doctor. The episode guest stars R. Lee Ermey as the Janitor's father, Lane Davies and Markie Post as Elliot's parents, Hattie Winston as Turk's mother and John Ritter as J.D.'s father, Sam Dorian.
2020"My Way or the Highway"Adam BernsteinEric WeinbergApril 16, 2002 (2002-04-16)S1189.32[20]
Due to Turk's competitiveness, Turk convinces J.D.'s patient to decide upon surgery instead of medicine, which angers J.D. Elliot falls for a patient, Sean (Scott Foley). Dr. Kelso fires two nurses and after Dr. Cox confronts him, he fires "Coffee Nurse".
2121"My Sacrificial Clam"Marc BucklandStory by : Debra Fordham
Teleplay by : Janae Bakken & Mark Stegemann		April 30, 2002 (2002-04-30)S11910.66[21]
J.D. is struck by a needle full of blood contaminated with Hepatitis B. Cleared from infection, he becomes scared of getting sick. Elliot chooses the hospital over her new boyfriend Sean. St. Elsewhere cast members William Daniels, Eric Laneuville, Stephen Furst, and Ed Begley, Jr. guest star.
2222"My Occurrence"Lawrence TrillingBill LawrenceMay 7, 2002 (2002-05-07)S1229.88[22]
Jordan's brother and Dr. Cox's best friend Ben (Brendan Fraser) comes into the hospital after piercing his hand with a nail-gun; however Dr. Cox and J.D. later become worried when his hand won't stop bleeding, with J.D. going into denial about the results of Ben's tests. A series of paperwork bungles nearly has Turk operate on the wrong patient, and has Elliot incorrectly informs Jill (Nicole Sullivan) that she's pregnant.
2323"My Hero"Michael SpillerNeil Goldman & Garrett DonovanMay 14, 2002 (2002-05-14)S12312.50[23]
Ben begins treatment for leukemia, but Dr. Cox has a hard time being supportive because he cares about Ben too much. Turk's ego takes a hit from the attending surgeon Dr. Wen, and Carla and Elliot scorch Dr. Kelso in a personal review. J.D. is very spooked to discover that the janitor knows far too much about him. The episode guest stars Lela Lee as Bonnie.
2424"My Last Day"Michael SpillerGabrielle Allan & Mike SchwartzMay 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)S12111.65[24]
The interns realize they have become jaded after working at the hospital for a year, and they decide to treat a patient aggressively. After Dr. Cox chides Jordan for her predictability, she reveals all the main characters' secrets to each other.

Notes
  • † denotes a "supersized" episode, running an extended length of 25–28 minutes.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 96% with an average score of 8.3 out of 10 based on 25 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Scrubs is a worthy spiritual successor to M*A*S*H thanks in part to its seamless blend of cheeky comedy and poignant, heartfelt moments."[25]

References
  1. "Scrubs' janitor to get a real name". Pop Critics. December 20, 2007. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  2. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 1–7)". The Los Angeles Times. October 10, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  3. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 8–14)". The Los Angeles Times. October 17, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  4. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 15–21)". The Los Angeles Times. October 24, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  5. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 22-28)". The Los Angeles Times. October 31, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  6. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 28–Nov. 4)". The Los Angeles Times. November 7, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  7. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times. November 14, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  8. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 12–18)". The Los Angeles Times. November 21, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  9. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 19–25)". The Los Angeles Times. November 28, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  10. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 26-Dec. 2)". The Los Angeles Times. December 5, 2001. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  11. "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. December 19, 2001.
  12. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 7–13)". The Los Angeles Times. January 16, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  13. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 14–20)". The Los Angeles Times. January 25, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  14. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 21–27)". The Los Angeles Times. January 30, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  15. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 4–10)". The Los Angeles Times. February 13, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  16. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 25–March 3)". The Los Angeles Times. March 6, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  17. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 4–10)". The Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  18. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 11–17)". The Los Angeles Times. March 20, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  19. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 8–14)". The Los Angeles Times. April 17, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  20. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 15–21)". The Los Angeles Times. April 24, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  21. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 29–May 5)". The Los Angeles Times. May 8, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  22. "National Nielsen Viewership (May 6–12)". The Los Angeles Times. May 15, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.icon of an open green padlock
  23. Jasik, Mike (May 22, 2002). "There are finales and, yes, finales". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on October 20, 2002. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  24. "Top 20 Network Primetime Report". Zap2it. Archived from the original on June 6, 2002. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  25. "Scrubs: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
General references
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